Ice-making apparatus



A. J- BENTLEY.

ICE MAKING APPARATUS.

APPUCAHON FILED NOV. 3- I919- Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

All'SON J. B NTLEY;

or mnns fonro.

ion-MAKING APPARATUS.

incense.

Application filed.

To all wiio m it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, Anson J. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Niles, county of Trumbull, and State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in Ice-Making Apparatus, of which'the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to apparatus employed in the manufactureof artificial ice and it particularly relates tothe freezing cans which: receive water to be frozen and which are placed in or near a freezing solution.

One of the objects-of this invention is to provide a fluid conductor to be assembled with the freezing can; the conductor, preferably a tube, will form a conduit for the fluid, generally air under pressure, to the bottom of the freezing can. This fluid after wherein will p'ass'inginto the can will rise and thereby keep the impurities in the water agitated so that they will not be included in the ice.

Another and important object of this in vention is to assemble the tube with the freezing can so that the tube does not enter the can thereby avoiding all injury to the tube and its holding means during the formation of the ice and the removal of the ice cake.

This invention possesses many other and advantageous features, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be set out more at length in the following description be outlined in full that form of the invention which hasbeen selected for illustration in the-drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification.

be attached drawing which forms a part of this application illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the freezing can.

Figure 2 is a section of the freezing can taken below a reinforcing band which fonns part of the top of the can.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of part of one of the sides and tube taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a side of the can, of a conducting means and a remforcing member.

In the apparatus employed to :"u'tificially form ice, the ice freezing cans which receive the water and which are placed in the freezing solution have a conduit therein to pro Specification of Letters Patent.

November 8, 1919.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Serial No. 336,560.

vide for the exit of a fluid into the bottom of the can. This fluid in rising will keep the impurities of the water from being imbedded in the ice during the freezing process. The conduit is generally a tube assembled in the side of the can and has its lower opening registering with an opening in the lower part of the can.

' Referring to the figures, an ice freezing can 1 is illustrated in Figure 1 ashaving a base portion 2. a reinforcing portion 3 at the top ofthe can, and the tube 4 which extends from the top to the bottom of one of the sides. Protecting members 5 are-placed on the side of the can in order to protect the tube and. if desired, to assist in holding the same in position. The tube 4: is received in a channel 6 formed in one of the sides, and the outer edge of the tube does not extend beyond the general contour of the outer surface of the side. This will be readily appreciated by referring to Figures 2 and 3 It is desirable that the tube or conducting means be assembled closely in the channel so that the sediment in the freezing solution will not settle between the can and the tube. If desired, a non-conductor of heat may be placed between the can and the tube. It is, however, advisable to keep the freezing solution from circulating around the tube to prevent condensation of the fluid which is passing through the tube; therefore one of the best methods of assembly is to have the tube nestedsnugly in the channel.

The channel may be formed in one of the narrow sides in order that the fluid or gas will pass across the greatest length of the interior of the can as shown in Figure 2; the can in this instance being of rectangular shape in order to form the usual shaped block of ice. The channel and the tube have been illustrated in this case as being substantially semi-circular and circularrespectively, but it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to this design, but such a channel can be easily impressed in a side of the can. and the tube may be any one of the commercial tubes and is employed without modification or the use of special dies to obtain special shapes.

Referring to Figure 4: which shows the lower end of the tube and the lower end of the channel, there is shown in detail the form of the base member 2. As most of these cans are manufactured of metal, the base member 2 is formed so that its edges are U-shaped having the upright portions 7 and 8, and the main portion 9 of the base is higher than the lower end of the U-shapd part. The sides are received by the base in the U-shaped portion and are held in posi; tion by rivets 10. The channel is pressed in one of the sides and bends outwardl to meet with the general contour of the base immediately above the portion 9 as shown in Figure 4. For convenience, the lower part of the chamiel 6 formed in side 11, extending outwardly to the base, will be here inafter called the shoulder of the channel and represented at 12. Immediately above the shoulder 12 there is formed an opening 13 in the channel. This invention is not limited to having the channel formed in the narrower side of the can, but may be in any or all of the other sides, and there may be channels in some of the sides without tubes mounted in them.

In the disclosure herein made, a tube for conducting a fluid from the tube to the bottom is shown nested in the channel and as having an opening 14 which registers with the opening 13 in side 11. For nick means of manufacture, the end of the tu e has been squeezed as shown in section at 15 and, if desired, a small amount of solder or other means is employed to make the end of the tube fluid tight. In squeezing the tube it is preferable to shape the end thereof at the same time so that it will substantially conform to the outer surface of the shoulder 12 and be supported by said shoulder, and permitting the holes 13 and 14 to coincide with each other. The tube is attached to the side of the can in any suitable manner and may be soldered as shown at 16 and at places along its length, the upper end of the tube being held in the channel by a reinforcing portion 3. Near the top of the tube there may be annular protruding beads which will assist in holding a flexible hose or the like in contact with the tube, or any other wellknown attachingb means may be employed. Protecting mem ers 5 have been placed on the side of the can for purposes of protecting the tube and for reinforcing the channel, and may be held in position by being spot welded or riveted or by any other well-known attaching means.

he openings 13 and 14 .as formed provide an exit for the fluid into the lower end of the tank and are so shaped that the fluid will generally pass across with the portion 9 of the base substantially parallel therewith and will then be deflected upwards. owever, it is understood that some of the fluid will contact with the interior base portion 9 and will be deflected upwards.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings may be variously modified, and that the present invenis susceptible of dili'erent embodiments. In so far as such modifications and embodiments of the invention come within the scope of the following claim they are considered to be within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

A freezing can having a channel formed vertically in one wall thereof, said channel being of identical cross section from the top of the can to a point adjacent the base where said channel is provided with an end wall contacting substantially with the base of the can near the edge thereof, an air tube having its lower end closed and provided with a hole in its wall adapted to register with a hole in the inner wall of the channel adjacent the lower end thereof, said tube being fastened in said channel and extending from end to end thereof and being securely attached thereto at its lower end to form an air-tight conduit open to the interior of the can, whereby air may be forced through said tube to agitate water in said can during the freezing operation.

In testimony whereof, I have sig name to this specification this fifth November, 1919.

ANSON J. BENTLEY.

ned my day of 

